First IV - scared of needles?

I'm terrified of needles but will be getting an IV next week. I was wondering if someone could tell me what it feels like to get an IV in your arm, and how I might be able to cope.

How does an IV feel compared to a normal blood draw (which I have had done before)? How long does the insertion process of the needle take?

It can be fairly uncomfortable but you need to explain to them your fear and ask them for a pre-IV pain shot. This is a tiny tiny needle that you barely feel and they inject a pain killer into the vein so that when they put the IV in, you don't feel it.

just close your eyes and say the alphabet. by the time you are halfway through it will be in. and it's not that bad.

Once it's in, you really don't notice it except for needing to be careful of it (no abrupt, large movements with that arm, etc). Be sure to let the person doing it know that you're phobic about hypodermics/IV's so they know to be especially gentle and considerate. They often have little tricks to distract you, or can use a topical anaesthetic on the spot to numb it so you feel less, or, if you're extremely stressed about it, they might be able to give you a mild sedative to soothe/calm you.

I had to go to the emergency room due to a bad bladder infection on a holiday, and was so stressed and sick that they decided I needed an IV, and was so much more stressed over that that they did add a mild sedative to it. I still had to go through getting it in, but once it was in, not too much worried me anymore.

Personally I find that holding on to someone with the other arm helps (especially if they talk to me). Distraction and comfort in one.

getting a needle hurts like a bic** first your arm goes numb.
na jk,it hurts more getting pinched. what i do is think about
my girlfriend/someone i care about and i don't even feel the needle.

I too am not too fond of needles, but I find if i look the other way and find something to focus on or thing of something nice, it helps, just dont watch them when they are putting it in.

I hope it helps, and whatever you need the IV for goes good.

Its really not very bad, I think its more the fear of the unknown that makes it even more scary. Once I found out that its not a needle that is sitting in the arm or hand, it made me feel much better. Here is a little description I found:

IV team. Many hospitals have an IV team that does IV placement (an IV is a straw-like tube that is placed into a vein under the skin to directly give someone fluids or medicines) or any blood work that is needed.

Once you are used to it, after maybe an hour or two, you won't notice its there and you will just have to remind yourself to be careful of it. Fluids feel a bit funny going in, making your hand or arm a little cold, but it won't hurt.

No one can tell you how it feels. It is different for everyone. If you like music maybe put your head phones on during it. That helps for me. After it is it, it should be fine.

I am 20 and I had my tonsils taken out yesterday and needed an IV. Last year I had major head and neck surgery and it took 3 anethitists 5 goes to get the IV in, since they where using a large needle they injected a tiny drop of local anesthetic then I didn't feel the IV needle. Yesterday I warned the anesthetist hours before the need for the IV that I had bad veins and he said "We usually get one in somewhere." when the time came he got in first go and I couldn't believe it. It was a samll pinch and that was it. Once it is in you don't really notice it. When they inject medicine it can feel a bit wiered but it doesn't hurt.

Good Luck, Be Brave